The girls basketball team lost a tough game to Penobscot Valley 46-38 due to a miserable third quarter. We played a good first half to lead 23-18. After the half, PVHS came out in a half-court trap and we panicked a bit and lost our composure. We lost our lead quickly and trailed 36-27 after three quarters.

We just weren’t able to recover, though we did get the lead down to six with three minutes to go. We rushed to catch up, had few turnovers, and weren’t able to get any closer. Coach Darren Eaton felt this is part of our learning curve to develop this group. Chelsea Brown had 9, Logan Eaton, Julie Hutchins, and Alison Cormier each had 6, Alyson Eaton 5, and Morgan Shepard 4.

The girls beat Jonesport 48-44 in a game where we came back in the second half. In this game, we trailed 23-19 at the half. We had more energy in the third to tie the game at 32 at the end of the quarter. Chelsea Brown came on strong with 10 points in the fourth, as we also changed up our defenses to cause several turnovers that we converted into baskets.

Coach Eaton was pleased that we came back strong in the second half to control the game. Chelsea Brown led us with 19, Shiann Closson 9, Julie Hutchins 7, Holli Boyce 5, and Logan Eaton with 4 points but also contributing with some solid defense.

The girls beat Searsport 43-41 on a last second basket by Shiann Closson. We actually started off in a hole as Searsport pressed and we didn’t handle it well, trailing 15-8 after the first quarter. We came back to trail 24-22 at the half and it was a back and forth game after that.

Overall it wasn’t a pretty game as we committed too many turnovers and made mistakes, but we kept pace with Searsport’s energy. At the end of the game when the score was tied and Searsport had the ball, we caused the turnover and Shiann got her game winning basket with 4 seconds left. Shiann Closson led us with 11, Chelsea Brown 8, Morgan Shepard 7, Logan Eaton 6, and Alison Cormier 4.

The boys basketball team easily handled Penobscot Valley, winning 72-39. We started off a bit slow with some passing miscues and missed layups, but we opened the game up in the second quarter by passing inside for easy layups to lead 36-14 at the half. Our defense bothered PVHS and that kept us ahead.

We poured it on in the third quarter with a strong inside-outside offense and led 56-27. Midway in the fourth, Coach Glenn Billings put in everyone who hadn’t been playing. All but one player were able to score. Sam Grindle led us with 15 points and 6 assists, Lucas Oliver 12 points with 11 rebounds, Connor Morey, Tim Cormier, and Stuart Bray each with 9, Nathan Davis and Hayden Ciomei each with 6, and Nick Eaton 4.

The boys played a solid all-around game in a hostile environment at Jonesport but lost 64-58 in OT. We started a little slow, missing some inside shots, and trailed 30-25 at the half. In the third, Jonesport stretched the lead to 11 points and it might have been our swan song, but Sam Grindle brought us back with 10 points in that period and closed the gap to 44-43 at the end of the quarter.

Connor Morey gave us the lead in the fourth, and it was back and forth until the end. With the game tied, Sam Grindle held for last shot but couldn’t get a good shot off. In overtime, Jonesport got ahead and then made their foul shots to preserve their win. An indicator of how the game went was our making 5 of 9 from the foul line compared to Jonesport’s 20 of 24.

Coach Glenn Billings was not pleased with the outcome but was pleased with our effort. We had several chances to win the game and certainly showed ourselves we can beat them. He mentioned the tough defense on Garet Beal from Tim Cormier and Stuart Bray. Beal scored 42 points, but he had to work hard for them. Sam Grindle had 22 points, Nathan Davis 15, Stuart Bray 8, Lucas Oliver 5, and Connor Morey and Hayden Ciomei each with 4.

The girls at 3-1 are having an excellent start, even though they are still developing the chemistry of a young team. We can’t get too cocky as all our games have been close and we have had the fortune to win three of them. This week, we went from faltering in the third period to lose, surging in the fourth period to win, and getting a clutch basket in the last seconds to win. It’s a good thing Coach Eaton has a strong heart but the basketball gods have been smiling on us. We need to keep improving on our teamwork as we can’t take anything for granted.

The boys at 2-1 have two more games before the Christmas break and so far are playing well as a team. We have seven players that can score significant points, both inside and outside, and the team is committed to defense. Holding Jonesport to 56 points in regulation on their floor is a superb effort. We have confidence and know we can beat them.